Board Game Review: Ticket to Ride: New York

This week, we take a look at Ticket to Ride: New York.  This is a game designed by Alan R. Moon and published by Days of Wonder.  Ticket to Ride: New York is a standalone game that is quite similar to the original Ticket to Ride but ultimately easier, faster, and with a much smaller table footprint.  Does the game live up to its older brother?  Let's find out!

The game is designed for 2-4 players and only takes about 10-15 minutes for a full game.  This is much quicker than the original Ticket to Ride which plays closer to 45 minutes (though that game does allow up to five players at once).  

Game Summary:

The main idea of the game is to collect matching colored cards to use to place little taxis on the game board, ideally to complete tickets that you are holding.  The game is basically set collection and route building and is easy enough to explain that my nearly five-year-old plays this game and often beats me even when I'm trying to win!

Game Set-up:

Each player chooses a color of taxis to be theirs.  Then, deal each player two of the colored train cars to start their hand and then deal each player two tickets.  Players must keep at least one of the tickets (they may keep both tickets if they desire).  Finally, turn five of the train cards face up next to the draw pile.  You are now ready to play.

How to Play:

On your turn, you have three options:

1.  Pick up cards:  You may pick up two cards in any combination from among the five revealed cards or the draw pile.  The one exception is if a wild card is face up, taking that card counts as drawing two cards.

2.  Play taxis:  Discard X number of cards of the same color, place X taxis on the board on the appropriately colored route (or on a gray route of length X).

3.  Draw tickets:  Draw two tickets, you must keep at least one of them.

Winning the Game:

The winner of the game is the person with the highest score after adding up the three main categories:

1.  Routes:  Routes score points based on their length

Length 1 = 1 point

Length 2 = 2 points

Length 3 = 4 points

Length 4 = 7 points (Note:  In this game, there is only one length 4 route!)

2  Tickets:

You earn points for each ticket in your hand that you successfully complete.  You lose points for all tickets in your hand that you do not successfully complete.  To successfully complete a ticket, you must connect the two listed locations by a continuous string of taxis.

3.  Bonus points:

The board is littered with "tourist locations" that are each worth an additional bonus point if you can connect taxis to them.  Note:  Any bonus point scored must be connected to taxis that are part of a completed ticket.

Add up your scores from the three categories and then the highest score overall is the winner!  

My Thoughts:

I played the original Ticket to Ride many years ago and found it perfectly acceptable.  It wasn't a game that I loved or hated but I certainly didn't mind playing it.  Thus, when I found out that there was a "junior" version of Ticket to Ride (called Ticket to Ride: First Journey) made especially for young kids, I was excited to get that for my son.  That particular game is fine for kids, but it took less than three months for my son to move on from that game to Ticket to Ride: New York.  I do think that having the initial experience with First Journey helped him, but he picked up Ticket to Ride: New York in no time flat!  

As for me, I find Ticket to Ride: New York to be a great game if you only have a short amount of time.  For me, the game really shines as a quick two-player game.  I've played it at three and four player counts but I wouldn't recommend those player counts (if you have higher player counts, I'd recommend either the original Ticket to Ride or else maybe Ticket to Ride: London if you are looking for something in the sub-twenty minute genre).

The Bottom Line:

Pros:

Easy-to-learn

Games take about 10-15 minutes

Great for two players

Bonus point locations give a little extra to think about when route planning

Small table footprint

Quick set-up and tear down

Box insert is nice

Box size is small on the shelf

Cons:

Games typically end before you even feel like you get going

Not ideal for 3 or 4 players

Small game board, only one length four route

Overall Score:  

6:   This is a perfectly fine game to fill a short amount of time, especially at the two player count.  However, for a similar use case I'd rather play a different version of the same sort of game (Ticket to Ride: London).  That being said, I won't turn down a game of Ticket to Ride: New York - and very often I end up playing two or three games in a row (which is praise for any game)!

Note:  I am using Board Game Geek's rating scale to come up with my score. 

Board Game Geek's Rating Scale:

10:  Outstanding - will always enjoy playing

9:  Excellent - very much enjoy playing

8:  Very good - enjoy playing and would suggest it

7:  Good - usually willing to play

6:  Ok - will play if in the mood

5:  Mediocre - take it or leave it

4:  Not so good - but could play again

3:  Bad - likely won't play this again

2:  Very bad - won't play ever again

1:  Awful - defies game description